Review: Daughter of Deep Silence

Daughter of Deep Silence

By Carrie Ryan

Published: May 26, 2015

I’m the daughter of murdered parents.
I’m the friend of a dead girl.
I’m the lover of my enemy.
And I will have my revenge.
 
In the wake of the devastating destruction of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story—and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace knows the terrifying truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to avenge the murders of everyone she held dear. Even if it means taking down the boy she loves and possibly losing herself in the process.
 
Sharp and incisive, Daughter of Deep Silence by bestselling author Carrie Ryan is a deliciously smart revenge thriller that examines perceptions of identity, love, and the lengths to which one girl is willing to go when she thinks she has nothing to lose.

My review:

Fourteen-year-old Frances barely survives the brutal attack on the Persephone with her friend Libby. The girls make it off the boat and into a life raft where they are adrift for days. By the time Frances is rescued, Libby has died. Frances is relieved to find out that Grey Wells, the boy she had a shipboard romance with, also survived along with his dad, Senator Wells. She is shocked however when they claim it was a rogue wave that destroyed the ship. Frances feels frightened and betrayed and most of all angry. If the Senator hadn't lied, the Coast Guard wouldn't have called off their search for survivors and Libby may have been alive too. Their lies also suggest that they were involved somehow with the attack. With both her parents dead and fear that the attackers may come after her, Frances agrees to live with Cecil, Libby's kind and wealthy father, and pretend to be Libby so he can protect her. 

Four years later, a polished and elegant "Libby" returns to Caldwell Island, where the real Libby grew up and Grey and his family have a house on the beach. Frances/Libby is intent on carrying out revenge and finding out just who attacked the Persephone and why Senator Wells lied about it. What she didn't count on was the presence of Shepherd, the boy the real Libby loved, and her own feelings for Grey. She also didn't realize that her quest for vengeance would put a target on her own back.

I struggled with liking Frances after she transformed into Libby. She is a girl who was deeply traumatized by what happened and then on top of that she assumed someone else's identity. She kept telling herself that her old identity was weak and trying to subdue that part of herself. I think she blamed herself for some of what happened, maybe even for falling for Grey. Being Libby allowed her to feel strong but eventually she realized the truth-she was a survivor but Libby gave up. I also thought she was kind of heartless in her pursuit of vengeance and even her treatment of Shepherd. She wasn't like the real Libby or the old Frances.

The romance between  the younger Frances and Grey didn't really work for me. They were very young when they met and fell for each other. They only knew each other for a few days before the attack happened. When they meet again as older teens they are instantly drawn to each other though Frances/Libby does her best to ignore those feelings. She uses his attraction as part of her plan but she also starts to care for him again even while she investigates him and prepares to take down his family. 

Daughter of Deep Silence is a suspenseful novel that reminded me of the TV show Revenge. I read the book on the edge of my seat anxious to find out the truth and what would happen to Frances. This is also a book that requires readers to suspend their disbelief a number of times. It took me some time to figure out why Frances would be safer by posing as Libby but I decided it must be because Frances wouldn't have the protection of a family and Libby had a wealthy and powerful dad who could pay for her to go to boarding school in Switzerland or a security detail if necessary. There was also something at the end of the book that didn't quite make sense to me regarding the attack on the Persephone and who was behind it.

What I appreciated about the novel was the mystery/suspense element. It is not without its flaws but it is an entertaining story. By the end I was hoping Frances would find a way to be happy and the novel ends with some hope of that happening. I think readers who enjoy suspenseful stories and TV shows like Revenge or Pretty Little Liars will enjoy this in spite of its flaws.